1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stick-shaped piece drive container and a stick-shaped piece supplying cassette. More particularly, it concerns a stick-shaped piece drive container which can selectively extend or retract a stick-shaped piece, such as a correction rod, a color stick, a stick-shaped paste, a stick-shaped rubber eraser, a lipstick, an eyebrow core, a pencil lead, and has a pass by rotation operation, and a stick-shaped piece supplying cassette which can supply the stick-shaped pieces to the driver container.
2. Background Information
FIG. 7 depicts a longitudinal cross-sectional view of one example of the construction of a conventional stick-shaped piece drive container.
In the figure, outer cylinder 21 has stick-shaped piece holder 24 provided there in which holds stick-shaped piece 23, such as, for example, a correction rod, with internal screw-thread 24A. Stick-shaped piece holder 24 is mounted for axial movement but is prevented from rotating by key 29 formed on an inside of outer cylinder 21 and keyway 30 formed on a circumference of stick-shaped piece holder 24.
Stick-shaped piece holder 24 also has internal screw-thread 35 formed on a rear inside thereof. Stick-shaped piece holder 24 further has screw shaft 36 provided therein which has screw groove 36A formed on a circumference thereof to engage internal screw-thread 35. Screw shaft 36 has annular ridge 37, annular ridge 38 on a large-diameter shaft and rear end knob 39 provided around its root, which are axially immovable but are axially rotatable and coupled with the inside of inward step 40, and annular groove 41 in a large-diameter cylinder of the rear end formed on the inside of outer cylinder 21, respectively.
That is, annular ridge 37 slidably contacts the forward end beyond inward step 40, where annular ridge 38 fits into annular groove 41. Rear end knob 39 slidably contacts the rear end of outer cylinder 21.
Cap 28 detachably covers front end 21A of outer cylinder 21; as an example, annular ridge 43 formed on a circumference of front end 21A of outer cylinder 21 that fits into annular groove 44 formed on the inside of cap 28.
The conventional example described above is operated as follows. An operator removes cap 28 from outer cylinder 21, and rotates rear end knob 39 relative to outer cylinder 21 to rotate screw shaft 36. Rotation of screw shaft 36 axially moves stick-shaped piece holder 24 having internal screw-thread 35 engaged therewith and stick-shaped piece 23 retained by stick-shaped piece holder 24 with key 29 of outer cylinder 21 fitted in keyway 30 of stick-shaped piece holder 24. Stick-shaped piece 23 thus is projected out of front end 21A of outer cylinder 21 for use by applying to a portion to be corrected.
To retract stick-shaped piece 23, rear end knob 39 is reversely rotated be rotate screw shaft 36 together in the same direction. Rotation of screw shaft 36 axially moves stick-shaped piece holder 24 having internal screw-thread 35 engaged with screw shaft 36 and stick-shaped piece 23 retained by stick-shaped piece holder 24 in the opposite axial direction to the one above with key 29 of outer cylinder 21 fitted in keyway 30 of stick-shaped piece holder 24, thereby retracting stick-shaped piece 23 into enter cylinder 21.
After stick-shaped piece 23 is withdrawn, the operator covers outer cylinder 21 with cap 28 on front end 21A.
If stick-shaped piece 23 is completely consumed, rear end knob 39 is rotated until stick-shaped piece holder 24 reaches its farthest extended position. Any remaining residual stick-shaped piece 23 is then removed from stick-shaped piece holder 24 before inserting a new stick-shaped piece into stick-shaped piece holder 24. After this, rotation of rear end knob 39 is reversed to retract stick-shaped piece holder 24 with stick-shaped piece 23 into front end 21A of outer cylinder 21. This completes supplying of stick-shaped piece 23.
In the conventional example described above, in order to prevent stick-shaped piece 23 from drying and moisture from evaporating when not in use, inward step 40 is made with a felt material (not shown) adhered thereto to closely contact the sliding surface of screw shaft 36 facing it. However, such felt material has a disadvantage that it undergoes changes from recurring use due to sliding of screw shaft 36, resulting in poor elasticity. This means that the sealing ability of the felt material gradually deteriorates, so that it cannot prevent stick-shaped piece 23 from drying out by moisture evaporating. The felt material also has the disadvantage that it cannot be easily replaced in view of the construction once the conventional stick-shaped piece drive container has been assembled.
The conventional stick-shaped piece drive container has a further different disadvantage that the stick-shaped piece cannot be easily replaced. That is, the remaining residual stick-shaped piece 23 must be removed from stick-shaped piece holder 24 to supply a new stick-shaped piece 23, involving problems of unsanitary, time consuming labor. In fact, the container is generally disposed of in practical use after stick-shaped piece 23 is completely consumed.